Spokesperson: When the Prime Minister met with Islamic leaders in August, he declared:
“We need the assistance of the Islamic leadership and the Islamic
leadership needs our assistance and we’ve agreed on a framework to move
forward.” Crikey’s recently wondered aloud about who the Islamic
community could use to present their case in public. Well, who better
than Australia’s most famous Muslim lingerie model, Michelle Leslie?
Leslie’s spokesman, Sean Mulcahy, says the model has her own brand of
Islam – that presumably includes a lingerie line – and that she
“practises it as she sees fit,” according to today’s Telegraph.
Will our idea work? First of all we’ll need to find out which mosque
she will visit this Friday to give thanks for her release – but she
looks pretty damn hot in a tank top.

Kimbo and different shades of grey: Here’s hoping Crikey readers saw those fantastic shots of Kim Beazley in the Weekend Australian Magazine – but please find time to look at these others, too. Three leap out at us: here, here and here. Is the big fella using Rupert’s colourist?

Khemlani.kom: Crikey readers will be delighted to know that our pal Khemlani has updated his website.
It comes as a relief to discover that “he is married to his wife,
Huyen.” There are a few kurious Khemlanisms on the site, though. How
does one graduate from university as a barrister, for example? Then
there’s his talk about attending the Kennedy School Executive Leaders’
Program. That’s a new one. It appears to be a $18,300 one month course. Wonder who paid for that?

Can state Liberals win anything?: It’s impossible to do anything other than agree with Glenn Milne’s comments on the hopeless situations of the various state Liberal parties today.
“Queensland is the only state in which the Liberals and the Nationals,
who have finally agreed to a coalition deal, are performing well. But
while Labor Premier Peter Beattie is vulnerable over the state’s ‘Dr
Death’ health crisis, his huge majority will most likely see him
through the next election. That basically leaves Western Australia,
where the conservative leader, Matt Birney, thinks the Pope is married.
But the state election there is not due for another four years. Thank
God for small mercies.” Mumble Politics has a bit to add, too.
Peter Brent, Mr Mumble, calls it “schadenfreude dressed up as concern”:
“Glenn lumps the Federal ALP’s election chances with all the state
Libs, but the big difference is that while the federal Opposition is
often ahead in the opinion polls, and never behind by a mile (two party
preferred), the same can’t be said for any of the states.”

Dummy splits: 54
local councils are holding elections in Victoria this month, many of
them with new structures and a new voting system. While the new system
may result in greater diversity within councils, it seems to be doing
little to stop dummy candidates, particularly in the more than 90% of
councils with postal voting. Postal voting in its current form promotes
the use of dummy candidates as it includes preference listings for each
candidate in the ballot papers posted to voters. The most blatant use
of dummy candidates is in the City of Glen Eira where the previous
council was sacked by the State Government in August. Their 61
candidates are the highest of any of the current council elections.
Democracy in action? Hardly. It appears that at least half are dummies.
There’re more details off in the wild world of the Victorian ALP blogs
and a good starting point is the Andrew Slandersyou site.

Our own Tony Blair?:
Brendan Nelson has admitted this morning at a music in education launch
that he plays the guitar. Now we know he clearly wants to be leader.